What are managed service providers?
As the complexity of adopting technology grows, many businesses are turning to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) for answers. Simply put, an MSP is a trusted expert third-party company that takes the hassle out of managing your IT infrastructure, offering services like network administration, data backup, security, IT support, and more. Many businesses choose to outsource these efforts because it allows them to focus on growth and innovation while leaving the complexities of IT management to dedicated professionals.
What can MSPs do for a business?
In the business landscape, MSPs are specialized organizations that take on the crucial role of managing and delivering tailored services to businesses based on their specific needs. These services are ongoing and, typically, administered remotely. They encompass various aspects of business operations, from overseeing IT infrastructure to ensuring data security and other tasks. It's no wonder why MSPs are seen as invaluable strategic partners, collaborating with businesses of all sizes, including small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), to enhance operational efficiency.
Market change: Why digital transformation is crucial for businesses in the post-pandemic landscape
When the pandemic brought the world to its knees, many businesses rose in the wake of needing changes in their work processes and infrastructure innovation. Below are five changes businesses had to undergo:
- Working in remote and hybrid environments: In response to the evolving work landscape, many businesses are embracing hybrid work models that blend remote and in-office work. The pandemic has driven office remodeling to align with these new trends, creating more adaptable and flexible workspaces. Additionally, IT teams now face the added responsibility of managing not only PCs, laptops, and local corporate networks, but also ensuring secure remote access to corporate data and networks via employees’ corporate devices. The workload and difficulty involved in IT management has now increased exponentially in comparison to pre-pandemic times.
- Shifting to online services: Consumer behaviors shifted dramatically during the pandemic. People became more reliant on online shopping, e-commerce, and digital communication. This shift in behavior highlighted the importance of having a seamless omni-channel presence to meet customers where they are and provide a consistent experience across all channels.
- Focusing on cybersecurity: Remote work introduces new security challenges due to employees using home networks, unsecured Wi-Fi, and personal devices. Cybercriminals exploit week passwords, launch phishing attacks, and may gain unauthorized access. More than three quarters of SMEs, (76%) to be precise, have been impacted by at least one cybersecurity attack in 2020.
- Investing in collaboration tools: In response to changing work trends and the rise of hybrid work environments, many businesses are increasingly investing in remote collaboration tools to ignite remote teamwork and increase productivity.
- Increasing demand for remote support: With employees working from various locations, there’s a higher demand for remote support tools to resolve issues quickly.
Common challenges faced by high-growth businesses
Below are common challenges many businesses face in this new era of business:
- Increasing IT complexities: As businesses pursue digital transformation, IT work has become more complex. One could blame the shift to remote work, accelerated technology adoption, and the need for robust cybersecurity measures. Whatever the cause, the impact is clear: IT teams have their work cut out for them.
- Lack of IT resources: Despite a significant increase in the requests IT teams need to manage, there can be glaring resource shortages that make this workload increase even more difficult to manage. Reports show over 40% of SMEs have no internal IT staff, and most of these businesses only have one generalist on hand (Connectwise, The SMB opportunity for MSPs: 2021-2026).
- Worsening cybersecurity threat: Growing cybersecurity threats continue to add pressure to IT teams everywhere. The same report shows about 60% of businesses have experienced a financially damaging cyberattack in the past 12 months. What’s even more concerning: Over 40% report having difficulty understanding cybersecurity and knowing what solutions to implement and how (Connectwise, The SMB opportunity for MSPs: 2021-2026).
- Regulatory and compliance: Governments worldwide have introduced various regulations and guidelines in response to the pandemic. Over 40% of SMEs said they don’t understand how to navigate compliance regulations related to IT (Connectwise, The SMB opportunity for MSPs: 2021-2026).
- Transitions to new technology: The barrier to adopting new technologies can be a challenge to businesses. Learning new technology and changing processes can demand a significant amount of time, money, and expertise.
Where MSPs come in
As high-growth businesses face pressure to scale in order to reach that next level of revenue generation, piling internal workloads and bigger targets can leave teams lost and burnt out. Setting aside time to spend on operations to scale every area of the business is often not possible. That’s where MSPs come in. Their expertise and ability to scale services will decrease implementation times. MSPs are an extension of a company's IT department, offering expertise, resources, and round-the-clock monitoring to keep technology systems running smoothly. Additionally, they have the flexibility to scale capacity up or down quickly, and can provide growing businesses with the necessary agility to stay competitive.
By partnering with MSPs, business owners realize they can overcome barriers to adopting new technologies, and gain a competitive edge in the market. These services are becoming a significant part of their IT budgets, driven by several factors, including a shift away from traditional on-site IT support.
In fact, according to Analysys Mason's SMB Technology Forecaster, SMBs spent a substantial 337 billion on IT and managed services in 2022, which accounted for 24% of their total IT spending. The forecast suggests this spending is expected to grow to 406 billion by 2026, highlighting the increasing demand among SMBs for consultative IT support and services. This growing investment by SMBs in the MSP market is also reflected in how quickly the MSP market is growing. The same research also shows that over $90 billion in new spending is expected in managed IT services by 2026.
The demand for Managed Mobility Services (MMS) is also rising as businesses see the benefits of outsourcing mobile device management to specialized providers. These providers are well-positioned to meet the growing demand effectively. In fact, according to a study by Market Research Future (MRFR), the Managed Mobility Services Market is projected to hit USD 33.3 Billion by 2030, at a 26.29% CAGR. That’s not surprising when you look at the benefits they provide.
How MSPs can help grow your business
Efficiency and specialization: MSPs excel in deploying their staff efficiently and providing access to a wide range of specialists. This means businesses can benefit from a dedicated team of IT experts without the overhead of hiring and managing an in-house IT department. With professional services such as initial device setup and staff training, MSPs empower your existing IT team to focus on core responsibilities while leaving specialized tasks to the experts. This not only streamlines your IT operations but also enhances productivity.
Help improve the customer experience: As customers continue to prioritize convenience, businesses need a strategy (and support) to engage customer through multiple integrated digital channels. MSPs can handle these tasks, allowing businesses to concentrate on what really matters: operations and customers. Take Samsung Knox Configure, for example. This functionality enables businesses to create a customized, user-friendly customer experience by streamlining interaction, reducing friction, and ensuring consistent branding across all devices.
Cybersecurity and compliance expertise: For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), cybersecurity and compliance may differ from the core skillset. However, these aspects are critical in today's digital landscape, where data breaches and regulatory fines pose significant risks. MSPs are well-versed in providing secured IT services and are adept at dealing with regulatory bodies to understand emerging best practices.
Proactive monitoring: MSPs use advanced tools to monitor systems 24/7, identifying and addressing issues before they disrupt operations. This proactive approach minimizes downtime and maximizes efficiency.
Transition to new technologies: MSPs can lower barriers to adopt a new technology, as they can have valuable experience and expertise with the new tech stack.
Choose the right MSP: 5 ways Samsung Knox MSPs can help your business
The Samsung Knox Partner Program works with MSPs that excel at endpoint management and aims to help SMBs and enterprises offload the intricacies of mobility management to professionals who specialize in it. Here's how Knox-empowered MSPs do it better than the rest:
1. Expertise and accreditation
When you choose a Knox certified MSP, you're partnering with Samsung Authorized Partners, who are committed to delivering top-notch service. Look for Knox Recommended MSPs and Premium MSPs, as they adhere to the highest standards of service excellence. Plus, their strong relationship with Samsung's sales team ensures smooth purchasing and overall service delivery.
2. Super strict security protocols
Samsung Galaxy devices are already renowned for their high-level security. But when you partner with Knox certified MSPs, you get an added layer of protection. Knox Suite further enhances security with features like the 'Security Center' (the Security center insight is currently Labs) which identifies vulnerabilities and compromised devices, allowing swift action to mitigate security risks. Your assets and data are shielded from cyber threats, ensuring peace of mind. After all, Knox transformed Android into a viable business operating system from a security standpoint. And even more impressive; Knox Suite was picked by the Pontifical Swiss Guard (Guardia Svizzera Pontificia, or, GSP) for its military grade tools and mobile protection. The GSP is responsible for protecting the Pope and the Papal Palace in Vatican City. In other words: They needed a solution suitable for a highly-secured place like the Vatican.
3. End-to-end support
Knox MSPs provide you with a one-stop shop experience through capabilities that can not only help you with Knox licensing, but offer device sales and support. Samsung MSPs can help you meet your customers’ evolving business needs and add value to your service offering, increasing customer retention and satisfaction.
4. A tailored service portfolio
Knox certified MSPs offer a diverse service portfolio tailored to meet your specific business needs. Whether it's device setup, management, OS version control, analysis or custom configurations to align with your unique requirements, Knox has you covered from A to Z. You also benefit from services like Samsung Care+ for Business for prompt device issue resolution, ensuring uninterrupted business operations.
5. Performance-based service-level agreements
Samsung Knox Premium MSPs are all entitled to provide you Partner Technical Support that is backed by Samsung experts. They provide 24/7 support with an escalated ticket system backed by Samsung experts.
MSPs are more than just service providers—they're your strategic partners
MSPs, especially those leveraging the powerful features of Samsung Knox, don’t just simplify tech woes. They also help strengthen your position in the industry. With the ability to onboard and manage customers at scale, MSPs are a strategic choice for improving overall user experience while streamlining management overhead. What’s more, the simplicity of managing all services and devices through a single account ensures greater control, visibility, and peace of mind. Embracing an MSP means not just outsourcing IT management but unlocking a competitive edge and achieving sustained productivity in today's dynamic business landscape—all with the assurance of Samsung's top-tier security and services.
To find out more
Download our latest whitepaper: Driving your digital transformation and innovation with Knox managed services or learn about Samsung Knox MSPs via our informative webinar.
